Overaggressiveness Can Cost You!

It's a truism of the game of poker that aggressive play is winning play. But many aggressive players overplay their hands and bet way too often. When called, they often are beat, losing many bets they shouldn't have lost - bets that add up over time.

A smart, successful local businessman was in my $30-$60 limit hold'em game, playing fast and aggressively, as he always does. With his style, he gets paid off far more than most, and his good runs are usually great runs. That said, the opposite is also true, as his bad runs are extremely bad. Playing limit hold'em fast and aggressively can be a highly successful poker style, but you have to be able to read hands well, and know when to press and when to back off. It's a style that is both difficult and demanding to play. Getting off your game a little bit can cost lots. That said, many of the world's best players use this style. When it is on, it can be highly effective.



A local pro opened the pot for a raise and was called by several players behind him. Mr. Businessman was in the small blind and called the raise with the 10 8. The big blind also called. They took the flop six-handed, and it came A 10 4, a very favorable flop for Mr. Businessman, who led with $30 into the field.

Since Mr. Businessman was on a draw, albeit a good one, I would have chosen to check, and attempt to check-raise the local pro. In this situation, Mr. Businessman is not likely to have the best hand, but may very well have the best draw. What's the purpose of his lead bet here? He's drawing and shouldn't want to thin the field, and all things considered - especially his table image - he's unlikely to win this pot uncontested.

By letting the local pro bet, there would be a greater chance to acquire volume, as there was some chance that the three players after the pro would call. Then when Mr. Businessman check-raised, their money would be trapped in the pot, either dead or they would have to pay double or perhaps even triple to proceed.

The big blind folded and the local pro raised, folding the rest of the field behind him and leaving Mr. Businessman heads up in the pot. Mr. Businessman three-bet his draw, and the local pro called.

The way the hand played gives credence to the check-raise play. Mr. Businessman would have gotten a better price on his draw by trapping other opponents. Instead, he was heads up versus a likely better hand against which he was probably a coin flip or worse. A pair and a flush draw is about even money against a better pair with a non-communal kicker, but the pro might have a set or A-10. I thought it unlikely that the pro was bluffing when bet into, with three players yet to act behind and one he should know to be hard to bluff!

The turn was the 6, essentially a blank. Mr. Businessman wagered $60. The pro called. Since I thought there was virtually no chance for the pro to fold, I didn't like the bet. Mr. Businessman could get raised by betting, and there was some chance he would get a free card if he checked.

The river brought the 4, putting bottom pair on the board. Mr. Businessman fired $60 more into the pot, and was called by the pro, who turned over the A K to take down the pot. Where's the value in this bet? What's the range of hands that the local pro would fold against an overaggressive player, especially after his call on the turn? This hand was a perfect example of when not to bet. On the river, there was no way the knowledgeable local pro would fold a better hand or call with a worse one. And that should have been obvious to any reasonably good hand reader. Mr. Businessman's bet had zero value.

On the other hand, I liked the way the local pro played his top pair, top kicker. He let Mr. Businessman bluff off his chips, getting action that he might not have gotten had he played the hand faster.

Some people think you should always bet if you think you hold the best hand. But that is conceptually incorrect. Generally, you should bet only when you think a worse hand will call the majority of the time, or a better hand will fold and the pot is laying you the correct price to bluff. You don't always have to be 100 percent correct when you are betting in order to get called. If you are the favorite to make money over the long haul when called, the bet is correct. Determining the real percentage requires including in the equation the possibility of being raised and whether or not you will be paying off that river raise. If you're a 60-40 favorite to get called by a worse hand, a bet is probably in order, making it a good rule of thumb. In this situation, though, the likelihood of the local pro paying off with a hand that couldn't beat a pair of tens with an 8 kicker was pretty low!

This type of situation comes up frequently in limit poker, making it an important concept to understand. It is especially important that you don't have an autopilot style in these situations. Every single bet that you're putting into the pot requires an independent analysis and decision. Making the correct decision of when to bet and when not to bet will add significant expected value to your game. That translates into significant profits over the long haul - and significant profits make for a happy poker player!

Mr. Businessman's style results in huge swings. The good news for him is that he doesn't need his poker winnings to pay his bills, and he can handle the swings.


Longtime poker pro and author Roy Cooke's Card Player column has appeared since 1992. A successful Las Vegas real estate broker since 1990, his website is www.roycooke.com. Should you wish to inquire regarding real estate matters - including purchase, sale, or mortgage - his real estate phone number is (702) 396-6575. Roy's longtime collaborator John Bond also has a website, www.johnbondwriting.com.